With state’s new reinsurance program in place, premiums for 2020 will be down 19%; biggest impact for those not eligible for financial help.
NEW CASTLE (Oct. 31, 2019) – With the state’s new reinsurance program in place and premiums declining for the first time since Delaware’s Health Insurance Marketplace opened for enrollment in 2013, Delawareans are urged to take another look at marketplace plans during open enrollment for 2020 coverage, beginning Friday. The 19 percent drop in rates is especially significant for Delawareans who are not eligible for financial assistance on the marketplace.
The seventh open enrollment period, in which people can renew coverage or sign up for a new plan for 2020, runs from Friday, Nov. 1, through Dec. 15, at www.HealthCare.gov. Coverage for enrollees who sign up by Dec. 15 and pay their first month’s premium will be effective Jan. 1.
The state will formally mark the Health Insurance Marketplace’s seventh enrollment period with a press conference at 10 a.m. Nov. 4 at Westside Family Healthcare’s Dover Clinic, 1040 Forrest Ave. For the second straight year, Westside is the only organization in Delaware to receive federal funding for navigators to help people enroll for coverage either in person or over the phone.
“The reduction in rates for 2020 offers an important incentive to compare and shop for plans on our marketplace, especially for Delawareans who own small businesses, are independent contractors or who don’t have access to health insurance through an employer,” Governor John Carney said. “I want to thank everyone who helped create Delaware’s new reinsurance program as a critical tool to reduce rates in the individual market. It’s another way that we can connect people to quality care in our state and to better health.”
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